Security doesn’t work without trust.
You can deploy all the right tools, write high-fidelity detections, and put together a solid incident response plan—but if the engineers roll their eyes every time you file a ticket, or leadership treats your risk assessments like noise, the entire program grinds down.
This post is about something security teams don’t talk about enough: how to engineer trust. Not in the cryptographic sense, but in the human sense—building credibility, showing value, and becoming a partner instead of a blocker.
Why Trust Fails in Security Programs
Let’s call it out:
- Engineers see security as a roadblock, not a partner
- Analysts ignore noisy alerts because they’ve been burned before
- Execs stop reading your risk reports because they don’t connect to the business
- Users bypass controls because they weren’t involved in the design
And when trust is low, everything is harder:
- Detections get ignored
- Remediation drags on
- Burnout climbs
What Trustworthy Security Looks Like
High-trust security programs share a few traits:
- Alerts are taken seriously because they’re consistently valuable
- Security advice is followed because it’s tied to real risk
- Engineers ask for your input early, not after something breaks
- Users report issues willingly, not as a last resort
- Leaders advocate for security because they understand the why
You don’t get that by shouting louder. You get that by showing up differently.
Engineering Trust: Six Practical Shifts
1. Make Detections Explain Themselves
An alert shouldn’t just say what fired—it should say why it matters.
Instead of:
“Powershell with base64 detected.”Try:
“This alert indicates possible obfuscated command-line execution by a domain user on a high-value host. This technique is commonly used for initial access and lateral movement.”
Include:
- Context (host value, user risk, business impact)
- MITRE technique (if applicable)
- Past examples of this detection catching real issues
2. Write for Humans, Not Dashboards
Risk reports, tickets, even Slack messages should communicate impact, not just indicators.
“We detected MFA fatigue targeting a privileged Okta user. If successful, this could allow lateral movement into critical infrastructure.”
Avoid:
- Acronym soup
- Copy-pasted CVSS language
- Writing like a compliance doc
3. Build Psychological Safety into Incident Handling
People don’t report what they fear will get them blamed.
- Make postmortems blameless
- Celebrate near misses that get reported early
- Don’t name-and-shame users or teams for honest mistakes
Trust starts with safety.
4. Collaborate Early, Not After the Fire
Make security visible in the development process, not just after detection or audit.
- Sit in on design reviews
- Offer to threat model with engineering teams
- Ask questions instead of giving orders
You don’t build trust by saying “no” better. You build it by saying “yes, and here’s how we do it safely.”
5. Engage Leadership Like Stakeholders, Not Gatekeepers
Security often presents leadership with problems, not solutions. Flip that.
- Share risk updates in business terms: what it impacts, what it costs, what’s being done
- Bring leaders into planning discussions before rolling out major changes
- Communicate progress on improvements, not just incidents
Example: Instead of, “We need to fix IAM sprawl,” say: “Access risk in our top 10 cloud services is increasing. We have a phased plan to reduce it by 60% over the next quarter. Here’s where we need support.”
When leadership sees a plan, not just a red flag, trust increases.
6. Treat End Users Like Participants, Not Obstacles
Security controls are only as effective as the people following them. Don’t surprise users—inform them, involve them, and learn from them.
- Explain changes: Don’t just drop new MFA or data restrictions—share the why, the impact, and how to get help
- Gather feedback: Use surveys, listening sessions, or even just Slack channels to capture pain points
- Act on feedback: If something causes friction, fix it or explain why it’s necessary
When users feel heard, they become partners. When they feel controlled, they find workarounds.
Bonus: Trust Isn’t Free—It’s a Design Decision
You can engineer trust the same way you engineer systems:
- Build feedback loops
- Add transparency (into rules, into rationale)
- Design for the user, not just the control
- Test your assumptions in the wild
Trust isn’t a side effect of good work. It is the work.
Final Thought
Security programs that work are security programs people trust. That trust is earned over time, through clear communication, consistent delivery, and a culture that prioritizes safety alongside protection.
If you want better adoption, better collaboration, and better outcomes, start with trust.
Everything else flows from there.
